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(no Mode-11")" I. J. ALLOUNSBU-RY HANGING. DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC ARCLAMPS.

rim-442,127. Patented Dec. 9". 1890.

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. LOUNSBURY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO v G.A. EDWARD KOHLER, OF SAME PLACE.

HANGING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC-ARC LAM PS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,127, dated December9, 1890,

Application filed July 23, 1890- Serial No. 359,705. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. LonNsBURY, a citizen of the United. States,residing at Ohicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Out-Outs for Electric Lamps, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to a cutout device for electric lamps, whereby asuspended lamp may be lowered for trimming or for any other purposedesired, and by the action of lowering automatically cut out of the maincircuit the break in said circuitbeing also closed automatically andsimultaneously with the cut- I ting out of the lamp, and thereby theburning of the remaining lamps on the circuit are not interfered with.The raising of the lamp to its normal position automatically establishesa circuit through it again.

In carrying out my invention I provide for a suspended electric lamp acasin g or housing surrounding the suspending rope or cable andprotecting the operative parts, and which casing is made tosupportbinding-posts to which the main-circuit wires are connected. Fromthese binding-posts are projected contact-arms, one of which is pivotedand normally depressed by a spring upon the other, which is fixed. Eachof these contact-arms, 0 in the preferred construction, comprises an armhaving its end bifurcated and constructed from resilient material, andthese divided arms are adapted to engage contact-blocks secured with thelamp and to which blocks 5 the lamp-wires are connected. hen the lamp isburning, the contact-blocks secured therewith are engaged by thecontact-arms projected from the bindingposts, the circuit passingthrough the main-circuit wires, bindin g-posts, bifurcated arms,contact-blocks, and lamp-wires. When the lamp is lowered, thecontact-blocks secured therewith move out of engagement with thebifurcated arms and the circuit through the lamp is broken. 5 Thepivoted arm being thus left free, its spring depresses it intoengagement with the fixed arm connected with the other bindingpost, andthe break in the circuit made by lowering the lamp is thus closed. Inraising the lamp to its normal position the movements aborc describedare reversed, and thus ,the breaking and establishingof the circuit areeffected automatically.

The invention enables the trimming of the lamp without danger to theworkmen, and dispenses with the necessity of using manually-operatedcut-outs or switches at each lamp.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a lamp suspended by means of apul- 6o ley-and-clutch mechanism which forms the subject-matter of myapplication for Letters Patent of the United States filed June 6, 1890,Serial No. 85%,53l, and which is now pending, such device being shownherein merely for the purpose of illustration; but my invention isapplicable to other forms of suspending and releasing devices, and tovarious forms of lamps.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a broken ele- 7c vation of the suspendingmechanism, showing the casing surrounding the lamp-cable andpulley-housing in vertical section, and the lamp in its normal position.Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the lamp lowered and cut out ofcircuit. Fig. 3 isa plan view below the line 3 3 of Fig. 1,and Fig. 4:is afront elevation of the con tact mechanism and binding posts. lookingfrom line a 4 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings, A represents a sheave or pulley over which thesuspending-cable B is carried, said cable being connected to the lamp,the hood of which is indicated at C. The cable B has astop Z) thereon,011 whichis seated a coil-spring D, sustaining the contact-block E,separated by an insulating medium e from a second contact E. To thecontacts E E are connected the lamp-wires F F. The contacts E E may bein the form of annular disks apertured for the passage of the 0 I cable.The lower of these contacts lies in a vertical plane outside of theplane of the upper contact, as clearly shown in Figs. 1,2, and 3.

G represents an inclosing-casing designed to protect the parts from theweather, and which may be secured with the pulley-housing. The casing Galso affords means for securing the binding-posts H H, and to thesebinding-posts the circuit-wiresI I are secured. 1G3 Projected from thebinding-posts H H are contact-arms J J, the former being rigidly securedand the latter being pivoted atj, and a spring K has one end secured tothe insulating medium K, to which the binding-posts are also secured,and its free end adapted to bearupon the contact-arm J. Thesecontactarms may be conveniently formed of two flat strips of resilientmetal, whose ends are spread to form the bifurcations l m, which areadapted to embrace and engage, respectively, the contact-blocks E E,thereby establishing an electric connection from the circuit-wires I Ito the lamps F F. The arm J has by preference a lug n on its lower side,and the arm J has an aperture into which said lug passes when the arm Jis left free to be depressed by the spring K.

The featureof bifurcating the contact-arms to enable them to embrace thecontacts thereon is important, beoausein'use the lamp is likely to beswung by the wind,

and thus the establishment of the circuit pre-- vented. The bifurcatedarms insure the making of contact when the lamp is raised, as they serveto steady and guide the cable and reduceits tendency to oscillation. Theannular formof contact is important, because tne lampis quite likely toturn, thus twisting its cable, and hence the desirability of providing aform of contact which Will be presented unfailingly to the impingementof the contact-arms.

Referring now to Fig. 1,the lamp is seenin the operative position, theknob O on the rope being engaged by a hook P eccentrically pivoted tothe pulley-casing and secured by the latch Q.

In Fig. 2 the lamp is shown cut out of circuit, to accomplish which itis only necessary to pull on the rope or 0 has lifted the latch-Q- fromthe hook P thereby permitting the latter pivot and release the knob,vhereupon the lamp may descend, carrying its contacts E E out ofengagement with the bifurcations Z oncable and the e 1. The combinationcomprising -dium and to engage the lamp-contact-s carried-- arm to causeits whereby to close the break incable D until the knob to rock on itsof the contact-arms J J. At the same time the spring K has depressed armJ, so that it comes in contact with the arm J, thus bridging the gap inthe main circuit. The reversal of these movements restores the lamp tothe circuit after it has been trimmed, and the same operation causes theengagement of the knob O with the hook P, which in turn engages thelatch Q until it has passed into lockin g engagement, these severaloperations being performed by the action of the parts 5 above describedand without action by the attendant other than the manipulating of thecable.

I do not limit my invention to the precise details of construction asherein above described, as the same-may be varied within Wide limitsWithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

lar form carried thereby, and circuit-contacts arms having bifurcatedends adapted to'embrace thelamp-suspending mcthereby, substantially asdescribed.

2. In combinationwith an adjustably-suspended lamp, a casing: havingbinding-post s".

secured thereon;main-circuit wires connected with said binding-posts, icontact-arms I projected from the binding-posts and having bifurcatedends, one of said contactarms beingpivoted and having a lug thereon andthe other having an aperture to receivethe lug, and a spring adaptedtodepress' the pivoted lug to enter the aperture, the main ctrcuit,subslantiallyas described.

JAMES A; LOUNSBURY.

of an adjnstably-sus pended lamp having lamp-contacts of annui

